A new rail hub for Griffith

Griffith Council has granted a development approval for the construction of a new rail hub at Widgelli on the outskirts of Griffith. To be developed by the Colin Rees Group, who also own and operate the rail hub at Ettamogah on the outskirts of Albury, this is the first DA for a rail hub in southern NSW since Ettamogah was built just over 5 years ago.

“This is a fully privately funded development with two long sidings and a modern container handling set up on a concrete pad”, said Colin Rees and Mr Rees, Chief Operating Officer for the Colin Rees Group. It is a clean and quiet operation, unlike the traditional rail hubs that people are familiar with throughout the region.

We see the growing freight volumes from the Riverina benefiting from a modern facility and the planned business park that will be part of this development.

Widgelli Rail Hub will also be home to the Regional Connect rail shuttle that plans to move freight from the branch lines around Griffith back to the main line at Junee and Cootamundra for pick up by main line services.

“What we are offering is a total package. It is not just a rail hub or just a business park but a complete service to connect businesses in the region to their markets – be they export, import or domestic in their origin or destination”, said Cameron Jackson.

The Widgelli Business Park is also being established on land next to the rail hub. In a venture with the Amberley Group, which is operated by a farming family from Griffith, both the Rail Hub and the Business Park will be a cooperative development between these two businesses.

“We look forward to working with local businesses and the Griffith Council to make this a successful integrated rail hub and Business Park for the Riverina regional of NSW,” said Mr. Jackson.

To provide businesses in the Albury-Wodonga and North East Victoria regions with access to competitive rail transport services and on-rail business park options, for both domestic and import/export freight.